SOUTH KOREA VS MALAYSIA: MOVING INTO AN ENDEMIC PHASE

1. INTRODUCTION

As a strong social structure, the media plays a critical part in shaping a person's perception of
reality. It influenced the idea that, in a broader cultural sense, the media generally supported those values
and conventions that had previously gained widespread acceptance (Showkat, 2017). Culture has always
been related to media representations, especially when it comes to the media convergence these days.
Culture is being influenced by media representations. The compelling press assumption demonstrates how
people regularly infer public opinion based on their views of media exposure and beliefs about the
content that have a significant impact on people. When academics talk about culture, they typically mean
one of three things: a shared system of beliefs and knowledge, often known as a system of meaning and
symbols; a collection of ideals, values, and traditions; and a set of shared communication modes
(Klinenberg, N.S). Propagation and cultural integration processes result in cultural changes or shifts.
Propagation can sometimes be attributed to a following intermediary interaction. Political and persuading
influence over the media. Radio, television, and the 'press,' for example, have the ability to control whole
societies. Political propaganda, advertising, and the media's so-called "mind-bending" ability have long
been topics of discussion and concern. Our social behavior, which is a component of our culture, is
greatly influenced by the media (Showkat, 2017). Mass media is a type of distributed media that is
designed to reach a wider audience. The goal of mass media is to create a wider awareness of the
existence of democracy and the state's various powers. The source of new cultural components is also
another society.

The South Korean government released a 5-year post-pandemic strategy in July 2020. This
ostensibly proactive programs attempted to boost the digital and green industries in preparation for the
post-pandemic period. This article looks at the South Korean government's early post-pandemic policy
plan, known as the Korean New Deal. (Yoon, 2021). According to School of Public Health of University
of Haravard, COVID-19 becoming endemic means that the pandemic will not end with the virus
disappearing; instead, the optimistic view is that enough people will gain immune protection from
vaccination and natural infection that there will be less transmission and much less COVID-19-related
hospitalization and death, even if the virus continues to circulate.
 South Korea's highly developed digital media ecosystem, as indicated by its extraordinarily high
rate of digital media penetration and lively user communities, has long been a defining feature of the
country (Yoon, 2018). Digital Korea entails not only the advancement of digital technologies, but also the
development of digital culture and, eventually, the fusion of technology and culture. As you mingle, you
learn about culture from the individuals you engage with. Observing adults' reactions and conversations
with newborns is a good opportunity to observe the real symbolic transfer of culture. Leading to increased
global attention to Korea's rapid expansion of digital media technology and sectors, little research on the
country's digital media culture has been done. The examination of Korean digital media culture is still in
its infancy, as can be shown (Yoon, 2018). The Korean Wave is now undergoing four major changes: To
begin with, the material covers not only popular culture but also linguistic, cuisine, and native culture,
together known as K-Culture items (Lee, 2018). Malaysia's media system has been heavily regulated to
ensure that media material does not contradict the country's Islamic worldview. The avalanche of new
media, on the other hand, has put the Malay-Muslim status quo that has framed Malaysian media growth
to the test (Mohamed, 2020). When it comes to Malaysia’s culture, the society is expected to be guided by
the Malaysia’s law and regulations. Being different from South Korea’s culture, currently, Malaysia is
slowly adapting South Korea’s culture since the transmission of media towards Malaysia’s media is
crucial towards its society. Social media platforms play a vital role in the changes of culture in Malaysia.
Various of social media platforms such as Instagram and Tiktok that are being utilized by the society
nowadays.

Because there is no longer a clear separation between "traditional mass media" and "new media,"
the phrase "new media" is no longer deemed useful. Print media, radio, and television are examples of
'traditional mass media' that existed before the Internet and were not digital in nature, whereas new media
were digitally media (Mohamed, 2020). To compare between the media representations of Malaysia and
Korea, we can see that Korea’s media representations is much more well-adapted since they are globally
broadcasted. Since Malaysia can be considered as a country with Muslim majority, there are separate law
enforced for every aspect. Hence, Malaysia broadcast contexts are being guided by certain legal actions.
The immense amount of knowledge available through the media exposes Malay Muslims to ideas,
cultures, and beliefs that may be both illuminating and dangerous. Simultaneously, the opportunity to
participate in the digital world, as well as create and share original material, is altering how Malay
Muslims deal with their belief (Mohamed, 2020).
 2. CULTURES, MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGICAL PRODUCTS

2.1 Cultures and Media

The Korean Wave is one of the most significant issues, with practically every country
considering it and attempting to comprehend its concepts. Korean Wave was founded to promote
Korean interests around the world, especially in East and Southeast Asia (Kachatryan, 2017).
However, it became a worldwide phenomenon, transforming into a dream society of symbols
and aesthetic pleasure. In the future, the Korean Wave will have a significant influence on the
soft power that may be used to promote a country's interests in sectors including as diplomatic,
commerce, education, and industry. People's purchasing patterns, particularly those of the youth,
are influenced by a variety of factors as a result of the globalized expansion of products and
images. In today's environment, when knowledge can circulate swiftly, it appears to have a
significant impact on global society's values and ways of life (Ariffin, 2013). Previously,
American popular music, films, novels, and fashion were only regarded the best allusion and
became a craze, especially among teens, but today's culture has a wider range of options. Korean
Wave was once thought to be pushed in East and Southeast Asia, but it grew in popularity when
Koreans realized it could be a powerful instrument for political goals. They enticed as many
viewers as they could with their attire, makeup, and stunning, faultless charms in their shows
(Kachatryan, 2017). South Korea has been encouraged to sell their cultures as a package
commodity through Hallyu as a result of this development. Language, culture, dramas, and K-
Pop are all more prominent in South Korea. However, if we take a deeper look of Korean Wave
at the endemic state, Korean media representation is still prohibiting spectators to attend any
venues to prevent any upcoming cluster.
 Strain B, which is only found in East Asia, is the most common COVID-19 strain in
Malaysia. Strain A, which is mainly found in the United States and Australia, and strain C, which
is mostly found in Europe, were both present. Malaysia adopted a Movement Control Order
(MCO) to limit the pandemic, which began on March 18 and ran for two months, concluding on
May 12. In terms of economic consequences, Malaysia lost RM2.4 billion every day throughout
the MCO period, totaling RM63 billion by the end of April (Kozlakidis, 2021). Malaysia has
eased the MCO and opened up its economy since May 4 in order to alleviate its economic load.
A lot of things have changed during post-COVID-19 in Malaysia, in terms of culture, people are
travelling and going out with masks on as a compulsory advice to avoid any unwanted clusters to
be predicted. Social distancing has become a new norm in Malaysia, as well as the other
countries. Social distancing is really important during the pandemic because the viruses could be
seen by our naked eyes. Social distance is a technique for reducing crowd interactions and
preventing disease spread among groups of people. This is a widespread tradition that has been
passed down through the years (Aslam, 2020). Workers need to labor on a regular basis to allow
cash flow in their various enterprises, and social engagement and contact is also vital for traders
and customers to produce money. COVID-19 has had a beneficial and bad influence on society.
A spate of important research related to COVID-19 has been undertaken in the year 2020, mainly
in the epidemiological, medicinal, and virological arenas.

2.2 Technological Products

To access state-of-the-art travel via the Quick Response (QR) Code, users of the Gerak Malaysia
application must upgrade the application to the newest version 2.5. The QR code was created to
prevent anyone from attempting cross-country travel without first requesting for authorization
and/or receiving police clearance, ensuring that only those who are legitimately stuck in their
respective states can travel cross-country (Lee, 2021). All citizens are encouraged to utilize the
MySejahtera and MyTrace programmed to track and monitor COVID-19 encounters, according
to the MOH. Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, the MOH's chief executive officer, said the two
[3] mobile applications produced by the Malaysian government in partnership with several
institutions could be accessed for free. MySejahtera allows users to do focusing exclusively
while also assisting the Ministry of Health in obtaining early data on personal health levels so
that prompt and effective action may be taken. The authorities can use MyTrace to undertake
contact detection for anyone who screened positive for COVID-19 (Lee, 2021). MySejahtera app
has been a new norm for Malaysia’s citizens to get used to in order to ensure that the tracking
system of COVID-19 patients and close contacts are emphasized really well. This programme
can serve as a guide for anyone planning a trip from one location to another. This is in
accordance with people' independence as they become accustomed to the new normal in their
daily lives. To maintain the society free of COVID-19 infection, people must take care of
oneself, their families, and the community at large.

From the start of the epidemic, South Korea established innovative, high-capacity screening
systems and collaborated closely with the business sector to ensure the supply of tests (Kim, 2021).
According to Our World in Data, as of November 2020, the country will have 600 monitoring and
research facilities and 150 diagnostic centers, with a capacity of 110,000 tests. South Korea implemented
extra entrance procedures for visitors arriving from Wuhan in late January 2020. Temp checks, testing all
travellers at the border, and mandated by law quarantines monitored for 14 days were added to the
procedures, which began with designated admittance lines and surveys and later expanded to include
temperature checks, testing all travellers at the border, and mandated by law quarantines monitored for 14
days. Early in the outbreak, South Korea took a proactive strategy to link tracing. They began by
expanding their network of contact tracers. Second, they provided these employees with information that
went beyond what they might gather from a standard patient interview. Third, they used digital discussion
to empower citizens to help the health system track down missing people (Kim, 2021). South Korea
increased its Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) officer workforce by promptly training personnel at
about 250 local public health facilities, employing 300 private researchers, and integrating employees
from 11 NGOs organizations that educate and assist EIS officers. This tiered strategy worked well, with
senior EIS officers tackling the more challenging investigations in major clusters and health institutions
and temporary employees handling smaller concentrations, such as family inspections.
 3. POLITICAL COMMUNICATIONS

The emergence of Covid-19 in Malaysia corresponded with an electoral politics coup that
deposed Mahathir Mohamad's multi-ethnic reformist administration (Wong, 2020). The new ethnic and
linguistic government's lockdown was inadequately conducted, but it achieved in smoothing the curve.
On March 18 2020, a nationwide curfew known as the 'Movement Control Order' (MCO) went into
effect, barring Malaysians from travelling abroad, restricting foreign visitors, closing businesses, schools,
and other activities, including Friday prayers, and allowing only necessary services. The MCO was
supposed to last two weeks, but it has been prolonged. Both companies and homes were heavily harmed
by the lockdown and its prolongation. On top of an RM20 billion (USD4.6 billion) stimulus program
announced by Mahathir as former prime minister prime minister on February 27, Muhyiddin increased
the package three times which are on March 16, March 27, and April 6, bringing the total to RM261
billion (USD60 billion), including tax, functionality, and lease relief. To this day, there is not control
movement in terms of travelling across the states, however, the SOPs are being guided for the civilians to
follow in order to avoid any new clusters to come up. Citizens are seen to travel with their families and
things are getting more normal each day. However, putting a mask on is still mandated by the law for the
people to follow. Other than that, the government system in Malaysia during the pandemic were chaotic
since there are several changes in its cabinets and parties. Civils were getting more and more anxious
regarding the changes, by meaning, people think that the government is focusing more on the changes
instead of flattening the curve itself.

Since the first verified case of a Chinese traveler on January 20, a total of 10,537 cases reported
and 217 fatalities have been reported in South Korea (Kang, 2020). According to Brooking Doha Center,
while South Korea has been hit by numerous waves of the COVID-19 pandemic, the country's national
health system has been capable to control outbreaks, restricting the growth and extent of disease.
Restriction on overseas travel, school closures, targeted prohibitions of public meetings, and closures of
public entertainment places were all used to help with this. The South Korean strategy, on the other hand,
has focused on a system of testing, contact tracking, and isolation that is backed by cellular technology
and data mining. Excellent public advertising and extensive public adherence with masking, physical
distance, and cleanliness instructions have permitted the success of its COVID-19 suppression strategy.

4. CURRENT ISSUES/NEWS

COVID-19 data from Malaysia was collected from March 16, 2020 to May 31, 2021. The
following health indices were calculated: The moment replication number, 7-day incidence rates, 7-day
death rates, case fatality rates, come back positive ratios, screening rates, and tested positive ratios
(Jayaraj, 2021). COVID-19 transmission was successfully suppressed in the first half of 2020 as a result
of the public health action. A byelection and breakouts among organized groups, on the other hand, have
sparked more widespread community transmission. In 2021, the growing rate of community spread has
maintained, resulting in higher incidence and stressed health systems. Recently, Melaka state election has
been done to elect the current party to rule Melaka state between Barisan Nasional (BN), Perikatan
Nasional (PN) and Pakatan Harapan (PH). According to Malay Mail, the Election Commission has yet to
announce the results, but unofficially, the Barisan Nasional (BN) had 19 seats inside the post as of 8.13
p.m., with Pakatan Harapan (PH) in second position with six seats and Perikatan Nasional (PN) in third
place with two seats. Aside from that, government is currently trying their best to help the citizens to to
overcome financial difficulties, however, they are more focusing on the elections instead which made the
citizens all anxious about it. Based on the past sudden increase of COVID-19 cases in Malaysia in
October 2020, the major clusters of the increasement are from the state election itself. The one that needs
to be sacrificed are the citizens themselves which is ridiculous.

According to NPR news, after properly vaccinating 70 percent of its people against COVID-19,
South Korea is attempting to reclaim some kind of normalcy. Antivirus limits will be loosened over time,
and for the first time in over a year, the severity of infection will not be the key determining factor. The
country is still recovering from a surge of illness that peaked at 3,273 daily cases in September. On the
heels of a rapidly growing vaccination rate, the figure has been staying around 1,500 in recent weeks.
South Korea's immunization rates started slowly but have already exceeded those of the United States.
Starting in November, the government would relax or loosen restrictions on operation at most institutions,
while seeking confirmation of immunization or negative PCR testing at others. Masks and evenly spaced
seats will remain in place. Instead, the next phase, dubbed "gradual return to normal life," focuses on
reducing the number of fatalities and very sick patients while also safeguarding the unvaccinated and
high-risk populations. At a public meeting on Monday, KDCA head Jeong agreed that easing social
separation might "inevitably lead to somewhat larger case numbers." "Even if it means taking certain
risks," she continued, "we have to find a way to securely cohabit with COVID-19.

5. CONCLUSION

As a conclusion, culture has always been related to media representations, especially when it
comes to the media convergence these days. Culture has always been related to media representations,
especially when it comes to the media convergence these days. Culture is being influenced by media
representations. The compelling press assumption demonstrates how people regularly infer public opinion
based on their views of media exposure and beliefs about the content that have a significant impact on
people. Our social behavior, which is a component of our culture, is greatly influenced by the media
(Showkat, 2017). South Korea's highly developed digital media ecosystem, as indicated by its
extraordinarily high rate of digital media penetration and lively user communities, has long been a
defining feature of the country (Yoon, 2018). Digital Korea entails not only the advancement of digital
technologies, but also the development of digital culture and, eventually, the fusion of technology and
culture. Leading to increased global attention to Korea's rapid expansion of digital media technology and
sectors, little research on the country's digital media culture has been done. The examination of Korean
digital media culture is still in its infancy, as can be shown (Yoon, 2018). The Korean Wave is now
undergoing four major changes: To begin with, the material covers not only popular culture but also
linguistic, cuisine, and native culture, together known as K-Culture items (Lee, 2018).Malaysia's media
system has been heavily regulated to ensure that media material does not contradict the country's Islamic
worldview.The avalanche of new media, on the other hand, has put the Malay-Muslim status quo that has
framed Malaysian media growth to the test (Mohamed, 2020).When it comes to Malaysia’s culture, the
society is expected to be guided by the Malaysia’s law and regulations.Being different from South
Korea’s culture, currently, Malaysia is slowly adapting South Korea’s culture since the transmission of
media towards Malaysia’s media is crucial towards its society.Social media platforms play a vital role in
the changes of culture in Malaysia. The South Korean strategy, on the other hand, has focused on a
system of testing, contact tracking, and isolation that is backed by cellular technology and data mining.